After some disappointing live albums Earth returns with an album to quash all doubts as to who is king of the extended riff. However, instead of trying to out-drone the youngsters trying to recreate Earth2 Dylan Carlson has steered his guitar playing away from fuzzed out extended chords to a pared-down country picking.
Dispensing with the overdrive channels on his amps the music of Earth has undergone a radical change. Hex exudes atmosphere. Every song sounds like it could be the soundtrack to the Great Depression. “An Inquest Concerning Teeth” and “Lens of Unrectified Night” showcase the current lineup’s strong points. Adrienne Davies’ drumming is dramatic and minimal, suitably matching the aching mood. Carlson makes great use of banjo and baritone guitar to provide the album with a wide palette of guitar tones. His guitar may be largely distortion free but he still uses a fair few effects, tasteful use of reverb being the most prominent. I did find the tremolo a bit heavy on “Land of Some Order” at first but it does blend into the song well once it gets going.
This album is very reminiscent of Pentastar, both have more traditional song structures and somewhat reasonable paced playing. Hex is a better album though, I find it more refined and interesting to listen to. In fact I think this is the best thing Carlson has done since Earth 2. Hex is slow to get to full tilt but when it does get there it is a humdinger. Carlson’s guitar on “Raiford (The Felon Wind)” is a joy to listen to: here Carlson and Davies seem to have hit it off best, Davies’ drums sound deep and menacing while Carlson’s guitar is slathered in darkly shimmering effects. Lap and pedal steel guitar push this track to Morricone-type vistas.
Combined with a beautiful sleeve this disc is a damn fine release.
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